


You Knock Me Out, I Fall Apart

by jesileigh



Series: Inspired By Hamilton [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Baby Mama Drama, Daddy Issues, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Forgiveness, Gen, season 4.5
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-07-29 11:26:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7682683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesileigh/pseuds/jesileigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was meant to be a short ficlet included in my Hamilton-inspired drabble series and it took on a life of its own, so I had to break it up into smaller chapters.</p><p>When Samantha finds out her father is dying she moves back to Star City and shows up to ask for Oliver's help with William while they settle in, giving him the opportunity to truly begin a relationship with his son. As Felicity watches their relationship blossom, she struggles with the feelings and emotions she has about her own father and their tumultuous relationship and finally begins to understand why Oliver agreed to Samantha's ultimatum a year ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song "Dear Theodosia" from Hamilton
> 
> Oh, Phillip when you smile I am undone  
> My son  
> Look at my son  
> Pride is not the word I'm looking for  
> There is so much more inside me now
> 
> Oh, Phillip you outshine the morning sun  
> My son  
> When you smile  
> I fall apart  
> And I thought I was so smart
> 
> My father wasn't around  
> I swear that I'll be around for you  
> I'll do whatever it takes  
> I'll make a million mistakes  
> I'll make the world safe and sound for you

Felicity sighed as she flipped through the channels once more, hopeful that in the last sixty seconds something worthy of her Friday evening had magically appeared. She remained disappointed.  
“Two hundred channels and nothing’s on,” she groaned in frustration. She changed over to Netflix instead. “I guess it’s just you and me tonight, Captain Jack,” she muttered as she selected Torchwood from her recently watched list. “At least you never disappoint me on our dates.” She reached for the pint of mint chip ice cream on the side table and rearranged her blankets and pillows until she was perfectly comfortable before picking up the remote again to press play. That’s when the doorbell rang.

“Ugh...seriously?!” She shot a glare at the double doors to the loft and with a huff and an eye roll, she extricated herself from her blanket nest and stomped her way to the door. 

There were 7.4 billion people on the planet, and that number grew exponentially every second of every day. Which is why it came as such a shock that out of that many possibilities, it was those two she found on the other side of the door when she opened it. 

“Samantha?” she gaped, her gaze shifting wildly back and forth from the woman before her and the young boy at her side in a Starling City Rockets cap.  
“Felicity--I’m so sorry to drop in on you like this, but--”  
“Come in, please,” Felicity insisted as soon as she’d picked her jaw up off the floor. Samantha exhaled in relief and put her hand on her son’s back to usher him inside.  
“Thank you so much.” Felicity shut the door behind them but still remained speechless. “I know Oliver told us it wasn’t safe for us to be here, but we had to come back,” Samantha explained. “My father isn’t doing well and I was just hoping that maybe Oliver could spend some time with William for a day or two while I iron out details with the hospice care place and search for an apartment and get William registered for school and--”  
“Is that Torchwood?” William interrupted as he caught sight of the television. Felicity tilted her head in surprise. “Like Doctor Who stuff right?” he added.  
“Yeah--yes. Like Doctor Who,” Felicity said. “Do you like Doctor Who?”  
“It’s one of my favorite shows,” William told her eagerly. “I love sci-fi.”  
“Hey, me too,” Felicity smiled.  
“Can I watch, Mom?” Samantha looked at Felicity.  
“Of course--the remote’s on the table,” she said. William gladly took off and plopped down on the couch to watch the show while Felicity continued to stare at Samantha in confusion.  
“I feel awful for even thinking to ask, but my father is the last living family member I have. We don’t have anyone else to turn to.” Felicity put a hand on Samantha’s shoulder.  
“He’ll be just fine here,” she assured her. “Just let me make a call to Oliver and let him know. I’m sure he will be thrilled to see William.”  
“He isn’t home?” Samantha asked, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Arrow stuff?”  
“Actually,” Felicity began with a grimace, “He doesn’t live here anymore...we aren’t actually a…”we” anymore, for that matter. Not since--” Samantha’s face fell instantly.  
“Because of--” she began, but Felicity promptly cut her off before she could finish.  
“Because _Oliver_ made some poor decisions. Not because of anything or any _one_ else,” she said firmly. Samantha shook her head sadly.  
“Felicity, I’m so sorry.”  
“It’s nothing for you to be sorry for,” Felicity insisted. 

“I had no idea how different Oliver was or whether or not his friends were still the kind of people they had been back when--when William came along. If had known at the time I never would have asked him to keep this from you.” Felicity nodded as Samantha’s gaze shifted to her son sitting on the couch, completely absorbed in his show. “I know you aren’t a parent yet, Felicity,” she whispered, “But someday when you hold your child in your arms for the first time you’ll understand why I begged Oliver to keep him a secret. And you’ll understand why he tried to do that for me.” 

Felicity had no idea how to even respond to that, but damn if it didn’t feel like a punch in the gut. She bit her lip and tried to swallow the lump in her throat.  
“I’ll just go and call Oliver and let him know you’re here, okay?” she asked, pulling her cellphone out of the pocket of the pajama pants she was wearing. “Please, make yourself at home. If you’re hungry maybe he can pick up some takeout on his way?” Samantha smiled gratefully at her.  
“Thank you, Felicity. Really.”  
“You’re Oliver’s family--you’re always welcome here,” she said, returning the smile. Samantha retreated to the couch while Felicity walked to the far side of the kitchen and dialed Oliver’s number. 

“Hey, what happened to taking a night off?” he said when he answered, a tone of concern in his voice.  
“I have some unexpected guests here looking for you,” she told him. His sharp intake of breath reminded her to clarify. “Samantha. And William.”  
“ _What?!_ ” He gasp-shouted.  
“I mean yeah, that was my reaction too, more or less.”  
“What are they doing?” He asked, sounding completely frustrated.  
“Watching Torchwood on my couch. Your kid has impeccable taste in television--are we sure Barry got the DNA test right because--”  
“In _Star City_ , Felicity,” Oliver said, exasperated. “Not in your apartment.”  
“Oh. Right,” she said. “Samantha’s dad is really sick and I don’t think his outlook is good. She hasn’t got anyone else to help with William, so she was hoping we might--or, you, rather (I told her we aren’t a “we” anymore)--you might help for a few days until she gets him into school and everything.”  
“I’m already on my way,” Oliver said. “And Felicity--”  
“Hmm?”  
“Thank you,” he said sincerely.  
“Don’t mention it,” she said. “See you soon.”

When Felicity got back to the living room she found Samantha sitting on the couch, William draped haphazardly across her lap, still wrapped up in the show. Her fingers carded through his hair absentmindedly, her eyes never leaving his face as though all she could see in the world was her son.  
“Mom, do I get to see your friend Oliver again?” he asked. Samantha nodded.  
“Mmmhmm...I think so.”  
“He’s nice. I liked when he came to visit us in Central City.”  
“I think he really liked spending time with you, too.”  
“Maybe we can go see the Rockets play!” William suddenly exclaimed, his face lighting up--just like Oliver’s did whenever the topic of sports came up, Felicity noticed with a small chuckle.  
“I bet Oliver would absolutely love to take you to a game,” she told him. William suddenly went shy again when he realized she was back in the room. Felicity studied him for a moment before speaking again. “How do you feel about pizza?” William looked up.  
“It’s my favorite.”  
“Mine too,” Felicity whispered. “Should we order one?” William nodded eagerly.  
“Can we have black olives on it?” he asked.  
“Is there any other way to eat pizza?” She scoffed. Out of the corner of her eye, Felicity caught sight of Samantha watching their interaction with a reserved delight. “Doctor Who and olives on pizza?” Felicity said in disbelief. “A kid after my own heart.”  
“Will Oliver be home soon?” William asked.  
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up any--” as if on cue, Felicity was interrupted by a knock on the front door, which she rushed to answer. “Mr. Mayor, how many traffic laws did you have to break to get here so fast?” She chided him as he pushed past her to find Samantha standing near the dining table.  
“Samantha--” he began, but he was cut off.  
“Oliver, I’m so sorry to just show up out of the blue.”  
“Don’t be,” he said. “I’m glad you’re here.”  
“Oliver! Hey!” Felicity watched Oliver’s face light up like Christmas at the sound of William’s voice calling to him.  
“Will--hey buddy!” he said, extending his hand for a handshake. It took everyone in the room by surprise when the boy launched himself into Oliver’s arms for a hug instead. Oliver, surprised as he was, didn’t even hesitate--his arms just naturally folded around the boy and held him tightly, resting his chin on William’s head. Felicity didn’t even have to look at Samantha to know she wasn’t the only one swallowing a lump caught in her throat.  
“Felicity has been so wonderful,” Samantha said after a beat. “I didn’t realize you weren’t--living here anymore.” Oliver caught Felicity’s eye.  
“There’s nobody in the world I’d trust more to take care of the two of you,” he said. Felicity pushed her glasses up a bit and cleared her throat.  
“I promised a certain young man a pizza, so I’m going to go order that,” she announced, heading back into the kitchen and leaving them to talk.

As she placed the order she watched Oliver and William ease into a conversation as though it was the most natural thing in the world and it made her breath catch in her throat a bit to see the way Oliver’s eyes lit up as the boy talked. It took a record three minutes for him to rope Oliver into taking him to a Rockets game the next day and Samantha looked on wistfully, Felicity almost feeling the relief radiating off of her as she watched her son getting on so well with this man he didn’t even know was his father.

“Pizza is on the way!” Felicity called to them once she’d finished.  
“Awesome!” William cheered. “She likes olives, just like me,” he told Oliver.  
“Finally,” Oliver sighed in relief. “Someone Felicity can share a pizza with! I’ve always been more of a fan of--”  
“Pepperoni and extra cheese. I got one of those too,” Felicity promised.  
“William,” Samantha said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Can you finish up your show while we talk in the kitchen for a little bit, please?” He nodded and promptly took up residence on the couch again while Samantha and Oliver headed to the kitchen table. Felicity stood between the two rooms for a moment before awkwardly moving to join William in the living room.  
“Hey--where are you going?” Oliver asked her.  
“To watch the show with William?” She said quizzically. “I mean, none of this really concerns me, right?”  
“Of course it does,” Oliver insisted. “Who else is going to help me keep him safe while he’s here?” Felicity hazarded a glance at Samantha who had the same pleading look on her face as Oliver. “Come sit down,” Oliver said, pulling a chair out for her. Felicity hesitantly sat down on the chair, unsure of the reason the two of them were so insistent on her joining them, apart from some kind of residual guilt left over from the whole secret-keeping-debacle from months previous. 

“I’m so sorry to hear about your dad,” Oliver told Samantha. “You know I’ll do anything I can to help. I’ve already let my secretary know I’ll likely be out most of next week and Felicity can set up alerts so that if the Arrow is needed we can find out from anywhere. That way one of us can be with William any time you can’t be.”  
“Thank you,” Samantha said. “I wouldn’t be here, except...I watched the video you recorded for William. I know you didn’t mean for anyone to see it until later, but...it only made me realize how serious you are about this. That maybe he isn’t better off far away from you. I can already see that you’re willing to put him first, and you’ve sacrificed so much already to prove you want to be in his life,” she paused and her eyes flickered in Felicity’s direction. Felicity squirmed uncomfortably in her chair. “Then I heard about my dad and it was like...maybe the universe was trying to tell me this is where we needed to be. So we packed up the car again and came home.”  
“Does he know?” Oliver asked, his voice low and shaky, his eyes glued to the back of William’s head. Samantha shook her head.  
“No, not yet. I was actually wondering if you’d like to tell him yourself. If you’re ready for that, of course?” Oliver turned to look at her so fast he could have snapped his neck if he’d done it any faster.  
“Really?” Samantha nodded.  
“Well yes, if you want to--”  
“Of course I do!” William looked over his shoulder to see what all the fuss was about and Oliver quickly brought his volume and enthusiasm back to a low whisper. “I would be absolutely thrilled to tell him.” 

The doorbell rang and Felicity very nearly knocked her chair over as she scrambled to get herself away from the table to answer it.  
“Pizza!” She and William exclaimed simultaneously. Oliver and Samantha watched as the two of them exchanged money for the food and wasted no time digging in.  
“Samantha,” Oliver said with quiet reverence. “Thank you for giving me this chance. I promise you won’t regret it.”  
“My only regret is leaving in the first place,” she admitted. “Then to come back and find out my ultimatum cost you your fiancee? After you begged me not to make you keep this from her? I am so, _so_ sorry. It wasn’t fair for me to do that to you and I know that now. I just wish I could fix it, Oliver.”  
“You had every reason to believe I was the same jerk I was when you got pregnant. You did what you thought you had to do to protect your son.”  
“ _Our_ son,” she corrected him with a small smile. Oliver’s breath hitched as he turned to see Felicity and William shoulder to shoulder on the couch, animatedly discussing the merits of each of the Doctors and debating whether or not a regular phone booth might be acceptable for time travel in lieu of a police box like the Tardis. Samantha laughed under her breath. “Quite a pair, those two,” she commented.  
“It’s a bit surreal,” Oliver replied. “We should probably get some food before it’s all gone,” he added.  
Samantha chuckled.  
“No kidding. He may be small but he eats like a grown man.”  
“So does she,” Oliver laughed.  
“Mom! You’ve gotta see this alien!” William called. “He’s so cool!”  
“On my way!” Samantha responded. “Make some room for us!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity wakes up to breakfast and Oliver prepares himself to tell William who he really is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long wait. I was slightly discouraged after the response to the previous chapter, but several people have urged me to continue. I already had this all written this summer, so it's canon compliant up until the end of S4. 
> 
> I'm always up for constructive criticism of my work, but please leave the Arrow-bashing out of the comments section. Thank you so much for reading!

“So I know we didn’t really talk about it, but I have an extra room upstairs, so I just made up the bed for you while I was up there. Since William’s already passed out down here,” Felicity said, coming back down from the second floor. She was holding an extra blanket, which she unfolded and spread out over the sleeping boy on the second sofa where he had fallen asleep with his head on his mother’s lap and his feet digging into Oliver’s leg. Oliver didn’t seem to mind one bit.

“You didn’t have to go to the trouble, Felicity,” Samantha insisted. “Thank you so much.”

“Well it’s no use waking him up when he looks so comfy. Besides, it’s not like you could sleep in the Arrow cave,” she shrugged. “There are extra towels in the bathroom. Your room is the first one on the left.” Grateful relief colored Samantha’s face and she pressed a kiss to her son’s forehead before wearily climbing the stairs to bed, leaving Felicity and Oliver downstairs alone, but for the sleeping ten year old.

“You gave her your room,” Oliver said, confused. Felicity nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear before rubbing the back of her neck.

“No, I...I don’t actually sleep in the master bedroom anymore. I took Thea’s old room,” she explained. “Her bed was smaller and less…” she didn’t finish her thought, but Oliver understood. “I think I’ll head up to bed too,” she added before either of them could dwell on the thought of why she couldn’t bear to sleep in the bed they had once shared.

“Is it okay if I stay down here tonight?” Oliver asked, almost shyly, indicating the opposite couch from where he sat. “I’d feel better about him being back here if I could be close to him.”

“Of course,” Felicity nodded. “I’ll get you a pillow and blanket from my room.”

“I can come grab it,” he offered, standing to follow her up the stairs. He stood outside her door as she retrieved a pillow and a throw blanket from the bed to send with him.

“Felicity,” he said, catching her arm as she turned to retreat to her room.

“Mm?” she tilted her head to listen.

“I know it’s been said a thousand times tonight, but... _thank you_. Thank you for welcoming them with open arms and being so great about this.” Felicity bit her lip and nodded.

“Of course,” she whispered, then she laughed. “You’re acting like taking in your ex’s son and baby mama is something only a crazy person would do.” Oliver shook his head and smiled.  Felicity leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms. “He’s your son, Oliver. He’s a part of you. And you deserve a relationship with each other. Of course I’d support you in that anyway I can.” Oliver took in a deep breath and sighed at her in pure admiration.

“I don’t think you can even begin to fathom what that means to me,” he said. He reached out to touch her shoulder, pulling on her gently until he could reach to press a kiss to her forehead. She leaned into him involuntarily, her eyes fluttering closed.

“I’m still not sure he’s actually yours,” she chuckled. “His taste in television is far too good for you to be of any relation.” Oliver just grinned at her.

“Get some sleep,” he told her.

“You too,” she said. “It sounds like you have a big day ahead of you.” She caught his eye and gave him a look that promised him she’d be there every step of the way and it filled his heart full to bursting with all kinds of emotions--from hope to anxiety and a bittersweet feeling of having her there by her side while still being acutely aware of how not his she really was.

“Can we talk tomorrow sometime?” Oliver asked, his hand finally falling from where it was resting on her arm. His exact meaning was not lost on Felicity, who just smiled sadly.

“One relationship in the shop at a time, Oliver,” she said, reaching to cup his cheek in her hand. “And this one needs all of your attention right now.” When she picked up on the tinge of worry that came over his features she added “I’m not going anywhere. I promise...Now _sleep_.” She rose up on her tiptoes to peck his jaw. “Goodnight, Oliver,” she whispered against his cheek.

“Goodnight,” he breathed out.

 

>>>\------------------>

 

The sun was entirely too bright for a Saturday morning, Felicity decided as she opened her eyes and immediately closed them again. She groaned into her pillow when she felt the puddle of drool she’d left on the pillowcase against her cheek. With a huff she flipped the pillow to the other side and rolled to her back to get comfortable again. But something was off.

 

Pancakes. And bacon. And...coffee? Her apartment was full of delicious smells. Smells she hadn’t smelled in going on nine months. Oliver had made breakfast. It was the growling of her stomach that prodded Felicity into leaving the cozy sanctuary of her bed to investigate. After a brief stop in the bathroom to tame her hair and wash her face, of course.

Once she was satisfied that she didn’t look like a total hot mess, she descended the stairs quietly, pausing when she caught sight of Oliver and William at the table together, talking over a plate of pancakes. Samantha was at the end of the table, sipping coffee and watching them pensively as the boys made plans for the day.

Felicity felt a lead weight drop into her stomach. They looked like a _family_. And they were, technically, she reasoned. And she was--what, exactly, in this picture? A glorified innkeeper? She was in the midst of deciding to retreat to her bedroom when Oliver caught sight of her and grinned.

“Good morning,” he called. “We made breakfast!”

“Oliver said you like blueberries better than strawberries, so we got those instead,” William said proudly, smiling at her shyly. And Felicity couldn’t help but melt a little at that. He did look so much like his dad, after all.

“Thank you, Will,” she said, taking a few steps closer to the kitchen. “That was really sweet of you.” Will just grinned bigger at her as she took a seat next to him.

“Is Felicity going to come to the game with us, Oliver?” he asked. Oliver turned to Felicity and tilted his head in question.

“No, no--you boys don’t want me tagging along,” she said, waving her hands. “You’d spend the whole game trying to explain the rules to me,” she laughed.

“Oh,” William said, his smile dampened a bit. “Okay.”

“I’ll see you later though,” she reassured him.

“Can we watch some more Torchwood?” he asked.

“Absolutely.” His grin returned and he turned back to his plate, digging into his pancakes. Felicity then noticed how Oliver had been staring at her, looking completely bemused. He pushed a plate over to her and she audibly moaned when she took her first bite. God she’d missed Oliver’s cooking. Nine months of dry cereal and leftover takeout had not been kind to her. She took another bite and closed her eyes in bliss.

“You need to sleep over more often,” she said. “I missed waking up to you in the kitchen.” Oliver nearly choked on the piece of bacon he was chewing and Felicity felt her face flush bright red. Samantha cleared her throat, saving her from herself.

“My father’s nurse left me a message this morning. She thinks we should stop by as soon as we can,” she nervously turned to Oliver. “Do you think you could drop by with Will after the game? If it’s not too much trouble?”

“Of course we can,” he promised. “As soon as it’s over we’ll be there.” Samantha hesitantly stood up from the table.

“I think I’ll head over there now, then, if that’s okay?”

“We’ll be _fine_ mom,” William said assuredly.

“Yeah,” Oliver assented. “We’ll be _fine_ , mom.” William glanced sideways at Oliver and giggled at the way he mimicked his tone. Samantha bit back a smile of her own and moved to William’s side,

smoothing his hair and pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

“I’ll see you this afternoon,” she said. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, mom,” William mumbled, seemingly a bit embarrassed. 

“Let me know how it goes?” Samantha asked Oliver cryptically, and Oliver nodded. Felicity watched as Samantha took one last, centering breath--certainly she was burying any last doubts she had about leaving her child with this man she hardly knew--before gathering her purse and jacket and leaving the apartment. 

“Whenever you’re finished we can head to the ballpark,” Oliver told William, standing up to clear the dishes from the table. WIlliam took one last bite and drained the milk from his glass.

“I’ll go get dressed!” he declared, pushing his chair back and bounding up the stairs to the spare bedroom, leaving Felicity at the table while Oliver loaded the dishwasher. 

“I don’t want to rain on your parade,” Felicity said thoughtfully, picking at the last pancake on her plate. “But you are the mayor now. Have you considered your angle for when people inevitably notice you at a baseball game with your mini-you in tow?” The look on Oliver’s face as he turned to lean on the kitchen island told her he most certainly had not considered that.

“Oh,” he said flatly.

“Oh,” she repeated. 

“I don’t think it would come as a surprise to anyone who’d heard of me pre-island that I have a kid, Felicity,” he said matter-of-factly. She tilted her head the way she usually did when she was unamused with him.

“Maybe, just for today, he’s just the son of a friend?” She suggested. “Until you and Samantha have come to a decision about how comfortable you are with him in the public eye?” Oliver’s face fell as it occurred to him what kind of target it would paint on William’s back once the world knew he was his son. He had been so wrapped up in the excitement of  _ finally _ being able to tell him the truth and begin their relationship that he hadn’t even thought about the implications. Felicity caught him spiraling and shook her head at him. 

“Don’t--” she warned. “No mopey, ‘woe-is-me everyone wants to kill my friends and family’ Oliver today.” Now it was his turn to look unamused. She stood up and rounded the island to continue their chat more quietly. “Go. Bond with your son. Tell him who you are and promise you’ll be there for him from now on. We’ll cross those other bridges when we get to them. I only brought it up so you don’t spout off before you’re ready to make a statement and Samantha has approved.” Oliver ducked his head in assent, pushing down the anxiety that had been rising inside him.

“What would I ever do without you?” he asked.

“You’d probably be dead or a pariah, if we’re being honest,” she shrugged.

“Dead at  _ least _ five times over,” he said, looking up to catch her eye.

“Oliver I’m ready!” William called as he came downstairs, taking the last three with a leap. Oliver took a deep breath and Felicity patted his shoulder. 

“He already adores you,” she assured him. “You’ll do great.”

“Come on, come on! Let’s go!” William urged, hand already on the door. Oliver chuckled and grabbed his coat from the hook by the door.

“Alright, alright. Let’s go.” 

“Have fun!” Felicity waved to the boys as they took off, sending Oliver one last encouraging smile as he closed the door behind them. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver tells Will the truth about who he is.

“Was that your first time seeing the Rockets play?” Oliver asked as he and William took a seat at a booth in the back of Big Belly Burger. Will nodded as he chewed on his burger.

“Mmm hmm,” he said. “I watch them on tv all the time but this was so much cooler!” Oliver beamed as he watched William enjoy his lunch. “My friend Jake brought me to a minor league game once when we lived in Central City. His dad brings him almost every weekend.”

“I used to go with my dad to Rockets games all the time when I was your age,” Oliver told him, building up his courage and looking for a way to segue into the conversation he’d been attempting to have all day long. He opened and closed his mouth several times, not sure how to begin. He’d tried on their way to the ballpark and then three or four times at the baseball game. The reality of the situation was absolutely terrifying all of a sudden and Oliver found himself wishing he had worn an earpiece so Felicity could feed him lines. 

“Hey Will,” he finally blurted out, catching the boy’s attention as he took a drink of his chocolate milkshake. Will looked up at him and Oliver leaned closer across the table, lowering his voice a bit in case anyone was listening. “Can I tell you something?” William shrugged nonchalantly and bit the end off a french fry. Oliver gulped.

“Sure,” he said. 

“I--I don’t know what your mom has told you about me, but...I want you to know that I really enjoy spending time with you.” Oliver stopped and took another breath. So far, so good. William nodded, and Oliver studied him intently, trying to read him. “Would it be okay if we did stuff like this more often? Games and lunch and...stuff?” Will shrugged again, with the usual demeanor of an adolescent boy. 

“I think I’d like that,” he agreed. “I always liked it when you came to visit when we lived in Central City.” Oliver smiled at that.

“Yeah? Me too...Do you--” Oliver paused, centering himself before pushing through the anxiety balled up in his chest that was nearly preventing him from speaking. “Do you know why I asked your mom if we could spend time together?” William’s gaze fell to the table and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth like he was biting back an idea he’d been thinking about, unsure about whether or not he should say it. 

“Maybe,” he murmured under his breath. “I think--or I thought, maybe, that you might be--I mean...It was kind of like...almost like you were my...dad.” Will stayed fixated on the chipped table in front of him and the last word came out so quiet that Oliver wasn’t actually sure he’d said it aloud. His breath caught in his throat and he had to swallow the lump there before he could speak again.

“You’re right,” Oliver confirmed. “I am your dad--or--your father. Biologically speaking. I haven’t earned the right to be your dad quite yet.” William looked up suspiciously, his face scrunched in confusion.

“What do you mean?” he asked. 

“Well, Dads are people who are always there for their kids,” Oliver explained. “They go to conferences and doctor’s appointments and school plays and ball games. They take care of you when you’re sick and cheer you up when you’re sad. They’re always there when you need them and I--I haven’t had the chance to be there for you. And I’m  _ so _ sorry for that.” He hesitantly reached across the table to cover one of William’s hands with his own. Will twitched just slightly, tensing under the touch before relaxing into it. 

“Why?” he asked. His tone was somber, with a note of accusation in it.

“I don’t have a good excuse for you,” Oliver admitted. “At first I didn’t know about you--back before you were born I was not a good person. I didn’t live a good life and I would not have been a good dad. Your mom wanted to keep you safe from all of that, so she didn’t tell me about you.” Will frowned a bit and Oliver could see the wheels turning in his head.

“But you found us last year,” William said, pulling his hand out from under Oliver’s. 

“I did,” Oliver nodded. “And I was so excited to find out about you. And so sad that I had missed out on so much of your life. I didn’t see your first steps or your first day of school--but I told your mom that I’d do whatever it took to be in your life. I want to make it up to you--all of it. I want to prove to you that I can be the dad you deserve, if you’ll let me.” 

William sat back in his booth, regarding Oliver with an intensity that made him shiver. When he finally spoke it was so meek and hopeful that it took Oliver’s breath away. 

“Can I…can I call you dad?” Oliver felt his eyes well up with tears as he choked out,

“Of course you can!” He reached for William’s hand again and Will let him take it, squeezing tightly. “I would love that, more than you know.” 

“Cool,” Will breathed out, a smile spreading across his face. “I’ve always wanted a dad,” he added thoughtfully and it took Oliver by complete surprise how something so simple could break his heart so thoroughly. He couldn’t think of a thing to say to that, so instead he stood and slid into the booth next to William, who let him put an arm around his shoulders in a hug. Will leaned into his chest and Oliver whispered against his hair.

“Thank you for giving me a chance, Will. I swear to you, I will always be here for you. From now on. No matter what.” 

 

>>>\--------------------------------->

 

The boys dropped by the hospice center for a short while so that Will could visit with his grandfather, and then spent the rest of the afternoon walking by the waterfront as Will filled Oliver in on all of his favorite hobbies and pastimes. He was still just as obsessed with The Flash, but after his kidnapping and subsequent rescue the previous winter he had taken to The Green Arrow with almost as much fervor. He had added the action figure to his collection, at any rate, and Oliver couldn’t help the pride that filled his chest as his son talked about his heroes. After a quick pitstop for ice cream before dinner (they promised they wouldn’t tell on each other) and a grocery run for supper ingredients, they headed back to the loft. Oliver busied himself preparing lasagna and salad and Will watched from a stool at the counter.

“How would you feel about meeting some other family members?” Oliver asked as Will helped himself to the vegetables almost as fast as Oliver was chopping them. 

“Who?” 

“Well you have an aunt--Thea is my little sister. And Felicity and I have a best friend who is more like a brother--his name is John and he has a wife and a little girl. I was thinking about inviting them over for dinner to meet you, if you’re up for it.” William’s face lit up at the idea of more family members he’d never met before. 

“I’ve never had aunts and uncles before. Mom doesn’t have any brothers or sisters.”

“Well then it’s settled--I’ll call and ask them to join us,” Oliver returned William’s grin and set the timer on the oven to preheat before sending off a few text messages. 

“Will Felicity be here?” Will asked, subtly hopeful. 

“I’m not sure where she is, actually,” Oliver said with a frown. As if on cue the front door opened and Felicity came through it, arms laden with shopping bags. 

“Oh!” she squeaked. “I didn’t know you’d be here already!” Oliver watched as she scrambled to hide the bags behind her back. “I got your text earlier. About how everything went so well?” Oliver nodded and raised an eyebrow. “I’m just going to take these upstairs. Nothing to see here,” she said breathlessly, stumbling up the staircase with her cargo. 

They heard the door upstairs slam and Oliver shook his head, knowing better than to question what she was up to. A glance at his phone told him that he was about to have a full house for dinner, so he set about preparing a second lasagna. 

 

An hour later he and Will were covered in flour from their efforts at making a chocolate cake for dessert that had turned into an impromptu food fight, and Felicity was finally descending the stairs with a mischievous glint in her eye that had nothing to do with her once spotless kitchen that was now filled with dirty dishes, upbeat music and warm laughter from the boys as they began to clean up. She leaned against the pillar and crossed her arms, watching as they blew soap bubbles with their hands in the sink and she couldn’t help the emotions that welled up inside of her as she watched the two of them together. 

“Felicity, watch this!” Will exclaimed when he caught sight of her. He turned and brought his soapy hands up to his face, blowing between them until a large bubble formed and then popped before her eyes. The boy dissolved into giggles again and Oliver and Felicity exchanged a glance over the top of his head. She’d never before seen him so content. So at peace. It was beautiful. 

“I have a surprise for you,” she announced to them. “Upstairs?” She nodded her head towards the staircase and Will looked up at the second floor with a kind of nervous excitement. “I was going to wait until bedtime, but I’m terrible at keeping surprises a secret. Go look!” Will wiped his hands off on his pants and bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Oliver looked at Felicity with amused suspicion and she gestured to him to follow Will. They made it to the landing on the second floor just in time to hear Will gasp,

“This is so  _ cool _ !” 

Oliver rounded the corner into the bedroom and Felicity followed, leaning against the doorframe to watch their reactions. The once-spare bedroom was now decked out in brightly colored superhero decor. The sheets and quilt were patterned with them, the curtains were blue and red and there was even a throw rug that looked like a page from a comic book on the cold wood floor. On the bed there was even a monogrammed pillow with ‘William’ embroidered on the fabric. It was every 10 year old boy’s dream come true. 

“I couldn’t decide whether sports or superheroes was a better theme, but the sheets have Batman, Superman and The Flash on them, and I thought that was way cooler than baseballs and footballs,” Felicity explained. Will beamed at her and turned back to the room to explore as Oliver leaned in to mutter under his breath,

“What does Pottery Barn have against the Green Arrow?” She bit back a smile and hit him playfully on the arm. “Barry will be hearing about this,” he added. 

“Stop,” she chastised him. He grinned and turned back to watching his son admire his new bedroom as he flitted from wall to wall to look at everything.

“Thank you for putting this all together for him,” Oliver said. 

“Well you paid for it,” Felicity shrugged. “So I may have gone a little overboard.” 

“But it was your idea--and it was an incredible idea. I don’t even live here anymore; you didn’t need to give up your extra bedroom.”

“Oh right, and where would you let him stay while he was visiting on the weekend? A cot in the Arrow Cave?” Felicity whispered. Oliver rolled his eyes good-naturedly as the doorbell rang. “I’ll get that,” Felicity offered, taking off down the stairs to greet their guests. 

 

>>>\--------------------------------->

 

The credits began to roll on the bright tv screen, jolting Oliver awake again. He noticed there was something pinning down one leg and one arm and he squinted down to see William passed out on his lap on the right of him and Felicity snoring, mouth agape on his left, her face almost totally buried in his chest and her glasses askew. 

Suddenly Oliver didn’t care that his arm was asleep or that he had a painful crick in the side of his neck. He shifted, sliding down the couch just enough to lay his cheek against Felicity’s head, placing a hand on William’s back gently so as not to wake him. He let his eyes close again, sighing contently, just as the door creaked open and clicked shut again. 

“Samantha?” Oliver whispered into the darkness of the apartment.

“Hey,” she replied, sounding exhausted. “Sorry it’s so late. I figured everyone would already be asleep.” 

“Well, almost everybody,” Oliver chuckled, looking down at Felicity and William.

“That doesn’t look comfortable at all,” Samantha winced, sitting down on the coffee table in front of him. “I can take Will upstairs if you--”

“No, no, it’s just fine. Really,” Oliver insisted, waving her off. “There’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be right now than here, as a pillow for these two.” Samantha sighed wearily. 

“How did your chat with William go?” she asked. Oliver smiled down at the boy.

“Great,” he assured her. “He’s so incredible...he asked if he could call me dad.” He was beaming when he looked back up at Samantha. “This means so much to me, Sam. Thank you for letting this happen.” Samantha nodded and Oliver noticed how completely worn out she looked. Her eyes were bloodshot and the dark circles underneath them were intense. 

“It’s almost poetic,” she said, reaching out to brush WIlliam’s hair from his face. “That I’m losing my dad just as he starts to get to know his...it means a lot to me too, Oliver. To see how much you care about him already. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but you’ve blown any expectation I had out of the water. And Felicity--” she took a deep breath. “I can see why you’re so in love with her. I’d do anything to go back and give you the benefit of the doubt--”

“Samantha,” Oliver interrupted. “You’ve got to stop blaming yourself for what happened with me and Felicity. I made the choice to keep it from her.”

“Because I made you make an impossible choice. I was scared, Oliver. And I know that doesn’t excuse what I did, but this little boy is my whole world. And I had no idea what to expect from you, but I should have given you a chance to prove yourself instead of letting that fear get the best of me.” She inhaled again, letting the breath out on a sob. “Felicity is so good with him. And he already looks up to her, I can tell.” 

“She’s incredible,” Oliver agreed. “And she’s been through so much. I don’t know how she keeps on fighting.”

“I’m glad you found her,” Samantha said. 

“Me too. She makes me want to be a better person. She always has.” 

“If there’s anything I can do to help, you know--patch things up--”

“Why don’t you go get some rest,” Oliver suggested. “You’ve had a rough day. Everything is fine down here. Besides,” he added, “It’s well past time I started doing some of the parenting here. You take care of yourself and I’ll take care of him.” Samantha looked relieved and awestruck all at once.

“Who  _ are _ you, Oliver Queen?” she asked, shaking her head.

“I’ll let you know if I ever figure that out,” he chuckled. 

“Goodnight,” Samantha said, leaning in to press a kiss to William’s forehead. 

“Goodnight,” Oliver replied. Then, as Samantha ascended the stairs, Oliver settled in for an uncomfortable, but blissful night’s sleep surrounded by two of the people he loved most. 


End file.
